How to Upgrade From Windows 7 to Windows 10 or 11

There is no free way to upgrade from Windows 7 anymore, and Windows 10 itself reached end of support on October 14, 2025. If you already have a Windows 10 license, back up your files, run Microsoft’s media creation tool on the Windows 7 PC, select Upgrade this PC now, choose Keep personal files and apps, and select Install; then enroll in Extended Security Updates to keep getting security fixes until October 12, 2027. If your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements, the longer-lasting choice is a Windows 11 license and a clean install from Microsoft’s installation media, which erases the drive.

Applies to: PCs running Windows 7 Service Pack 1, moving to Windows 10 Home or Pro, or to Windows 11 Home or Pro. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.

Where Windows 7 and Windows 10 stand today

Before you spend money or time, it helps to know what Microsoft currently says about both versions:

• Windows 7: Support ended on January 14, 2020. A Windows 7 PC still turns on and runs, but Microsoft no longer provides security updates, software updates, or technical support, so it’s at greater risk from viruses and malware.
• Windows 7 Extended Security Updates: These were sold only through volume licensing programs for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Professional for Embedded Systems, and the final year ended in January 2023. Home users can’t buy them, and nobody can buy them now.
• Free upgrades: Microsoft states that there currently aren’t free upgrade paths from unsupported versions of Windows to either Windows 10 or Windows 11. You need a license for whichever version you install.
• Windows 10: Support ended on October 14, 2025. Version 22H2 is the final version. Windows 10 PCs still work, but they no longer get software or security updates unless they’re enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU).
• Windows 10 ESU for home users: Enrolled Windows 10 PCs get critical and important security updates until the program ends on October 12, 2027.

In other words, moving a Windows 7 PC to Windows 10 today buys you about a year of security updates, and only if you enroll in ESU. That can still make sense for an older PC that can’t run Windows 11, but it’s a stopgap, not a long-term plan.

Windows 10 or Windows 11: which should you choose?

Use these questions to pick a route:

Your situation	Best official route
Your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot capable UEFI, an approved processor)	Buy Windows 11 Home or Pro and clean install it from Microsoft’s installation media. Files and apps must be restored afterward.
Your PC can’t run Windows 11, and you already own a Windows 10 license	Upgrade in place with the Windows 10 media creation tool, then enroll in Windows 10 ESU (coverage ends October 12, 2027).
Your PC can’t run Windows 11, and you have no Windows 10 license	Microsoft recommends replacing the device with one that supports Windows 11. Its old “get Windows 10” page now points to its Windows 11 page.
It’s a work or school PC	Ask your IT administrator. Enterprise editions aren’t available in the media creation tool.

Most PCs that shipped with Windows 7 won’t qualify for Windows 11. Microsoft notes that PCs running an unsupported version of Windows are unlikely to meet the Windows 11 requirements, so check before you buy a license.

Before you start

Whichever route you choose, take care of these first:

• Back up your files. Copy your documents, photos, music, videos, and desktop files to an external hard drive or USB drive, or upload them to OneDrive in a web browser. A clean install erases everything on the drive, and even an in-place upgrade can fail.
• Write down your apps. List the programs you use and find their installers or license keys. After a clean install, you’ll reinstall every app yourself.
• Confirm Service Pack 1. Microsoft says to make sure you’re running the latest version of Windows 7, which is Windows 7 SP1, before upgrading to Windows 10.
• Check the hardware. Windows 10 needs a 1 GHz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit, a 32 GB or larger drive, DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM 1.0 driver, and an 800 x 600 display. Windows 11 needs much more (see the requirements list below).
• Get your license ready. Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page lists “a license to install Windows 10” as a requirement when upgrading from Windows 7. For Windows 11, you need a Windows 11 Home or Pro license.
• Use an administrator account. You need to be an administrator to run Microsoft’s media creation tool.
• Get a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space if you’ll create installation media. Anything already on it will be deleted.

Upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 and keep your files

This in-place upgrade keeps your personal files and, where possible, your apps. Use it only if you have a Windows 10 license for this PC. It runs on the Windows 7 PC itself.

1. On the Windows 7 PC, open Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page and select Download tool. When the download finishes, select Run. Windows asks for administrator permission.
2. Read the license terms and select Accept. The tool takes a moment to get things ready.
3. On the What do you want to do? page, select Upgrade this PC now, and then select Next. The tool downloads Windows 10, which can take a while on a slow connection.
4. If you’re asked for a product key, enter your Windows 10 key. If this PC ran Windows 10 before and you’re reinstalling it, Microsoft says you don’t need to enter a product key.
5. When setup shows what it will keep, select Change what to keep and choose Keep personal files and apps. Keep personal files only removes your apps, and Nothing removes your files, apps, and settings.
6. Save and close any open files, then select Install. Your PC restarts several times. Don’t turn it off while Windows 10 installs.
7. When Windows 10 starts, sign in and work through the setup screens. Then check that your files are where you left them.

Keep Windows 10 secure with Extended Security Updates

A newly upgraded Windows 10 PC won’t get security updates unless you enroll it in ESU. Microsoft’s consumer ESU program requires:

• Windows 10, version 22H2, in the Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Pro for Workstations edition.
• A Microsoft account that is an administrator on the PC. Child accounts can’t enroll.

To enroll, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If the PC meets the prerequisites, you’ll see an Enroll now link. Microsoft offers three ways to enroll: at no additional cost if you sync your PC settings, by redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, or with a one-time purchase of $30 USD (or local equivalent) plus tax. One ESU license covers up to 10 devices. For a walkthrough of each screen, see how to enroll in Windows 10 Extended Security Updates, and check the current terms on Microsoft’s ESU page.

ESU covers critical and important security fixes only. It doesn’t add features, and it ends on October 12, 2027, so plan your next move before then.

Move from Windows 7 to Windows 11 with a clean install

If your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements, a clean install of Windows 11 gives you a supported system without an end date coming up next year. Microsoft’s Windows 11 Installation Assistant only runs on Windows 10, version 2004 or later, so a Windows 7 PC needs installation media instead. Microsoft warns that this kind of installation overwrites the contents of the drive, and all files and installed apps on it are lost. Back up first.

Windows 11 requires:

• A 1 GHz or faster processor with 2 or more cores that appears on Microsoft’s list of approved CPUs, and a 64-bit CPU
• 4 GB of RAM and a 64 GB or larger storage device
• UEFI firmware that’s Secure Boot capable, and TPM (Trusted Platform Module) version 2.0
• DirectX 12 compatible graphics with a WDDM 2.0 driver, and a 720p display larger than 9 inches diagonally
• An internet connection and a Microsoft account during setup, for Windows 11 Home and for Windows 11 Pro for personal use

To make the installation media (you can do this on any working Windows PC):

1. Go to Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page, download the media creation tool under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, and run it as an administrator.
2. Select Accept to agree to the license terms.
3. On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.
4. Choose the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit). Pick the same language you’ll use on the PC.
5. Select USB flash drive, attach a blank drive with at least 8 GB of space, and let the tool finish. Everything on the drive is erased.

To install Windows 11 on the old Windows 7 PC:

1. Confirm your files are backed up. Then plug the USB flash drive into the Windows 7 PC and restart it.
2. If the PC doesn’t start from the USB drive, open its boot menu or change the boot order. Microsoft says you typically press a key such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc right after turning on the PC. Your PC maker’s support site can tell you the exact key.
3. On the Install Windows page, choose your language, time, and keyboard preferences, and then select Next.
4. Select Install Windows and follow the prompts. When asked, enter your Windows 11 product key.
5. Finish the setup screens. Windows 11 Home, and Pro for personal use, need an internet connection and a Microsoft account during setup. Then restore your files from your backup and reinstall your apps.

For more detail on the boot-from-USB part, our guide to clean installing Windows from a USB drive walks through the same kind of screens for Windows 10.

Check that the upgrade worked

• Your files: Open File Explorer and check your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders. After a clean install, copy your files back from your backup.
• Activation on Windows 11: Go to Settings > System > Activation to see whether Windows is activated.
• Security updates on Windows 10: Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and make sure ESU enrollment is complete, then install any updates offered.
• Drivers: Microsoft recommends checking for driver updates through Windows Update after installing. If a device such as Wi-Fi or audio doesn’t work, look for a driver on your PC maker’s support site.

Keep your backup until you’re sure every file and app you need is working on the new system.

Troubleshooting

Setup asks for a product key you don’t have

A Windows 7 PC needs a Windows 10 or Windows 11 license to move to either version. Microsoft doesn’t offer a free upgrade path from Windows 7, so buy a license from Microsoft or a retailer, or replace the PC. Avoid sites selling suspiciously cheap keys or “activators”; they’re not an official route.

The PC won’t start from the USB drive

Change the boot order or use the boot menu key. If the USB drive still isn’t listed, Microsoft suggests temporarily disabling Secure Boot in the BIOS settings. If the Install Windows page appears again after installation finishes, undo the boot order change so the PC starts from its own drive.

Windows 11 says the PC doesn’t meet the requirements

Microsoft doesn’t recommend installing Windows 11 on a device that doesn’t meet the requirements, because it can leave the system in an unsupported state. Older Windows 7 PCs commonly lack TPM 2.0 or an approved processor. Your options are Windows 10 with ESU (if you have a license) or a new PC.

The Enroll now link doesn’t appear in Windows 10

Make sure Windows 10 is on version 22H2, you’re signed in with a Microsoft account that’s an administrator on the PC (not a child account), and the edition is Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Pro for Workstations. Install all pending updates, restart, and check Windows Update again.

It’s a work or school computer

If an organization manages the PC, check with its IT administrator before changing the operating system. Windows 10 Enterprise isn’t available in the media creation tool, and Windows 7 ESU for businesses was only sold through volume licensing.

You picked the wrong option in setup

If you chose Nothing or Keep personal files only by mistake, your apps (and possibly your files) are removed. Restore files from your backup and reinstall your apps. This is why the backup comes first.

Frequently asked questions

Is upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 still free?

No. Microsoft says there currently aren’t free upgrade paths from unsupported versions of Windows to Windows 10 or Windows 11. You need a valid license for the version you install.

Will my Windows 7 product key activate Windows 10?

Don’t count on it. Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page lists a Windows 10 license as a requirement for upgrading from Windows 7 and doesn’t describe a Windows 7 key as a substitute. The exception is a PC that already ran activated Windows 10, which can be reinstalled without entering a key.

Can I upgrade Windows 7 directly to Windows 11 and keep my files?

Not with Microsoft’s tools. The Installation Assistant requires Windows 10, version 2004 or later, and installing a full version of Windows 11 on a Windows 7 PC overwrites the drive. Back up your files and copy them back afterward.

Is Windows 10 still safe to use in 2026?

Only if the PC is enrolled in Extended Security Updates, which deliver critical and important security fixes until October 12, 2027. Without ESU, a Windows 10 PC gets no security updates.

Does ESU work for Windows 7?

No. Windows 7 ESU was a separate, volume-licensing-only program for business editions, and it ended in January 2023. The consumer ESU program covers Windows 10, version 22H2 only.

Can I keep using Windows 7?

It still runs, but Microsoft no longer fixes its security problems, so it’s riskier every month it’s online. If you keep a Windows 7 PC for an old program or device, keep it off the internet and store your important files elsewhere.

How long does the upgrade take?

It depends on your internet speed and how fast the PC is, and the download alone can take a while. Leave extra time to restore files and reinstall apps after a clean install. The PC restarts several times along the way, so don’t turn it off.

What if my PC can’t run Windows 11?

Microsoft recommends replacing the device with one that supports Windows 11. If you already own a Windows 10 license, Windows 10 with ESU keeps the old PC protected until October 12, 2027 while you plan.

Next step: back up your files today, then decide between Windows 10 with ESU and Windows 11 using the table above. If you end up on Windows 10, our guide to upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11 covers the free move later if you replace or upgrade the hardware.

Related: How to install Office 2007 on Windows 10.

Related: how to transfer a Windows 10 license.